explaining_errors_in_star_trekfandomcom-20200215-history
The Bonding
'' |image= |series= |production=40273-153 |producer(s)= |story= |script=Ronald D. Moore |director=Winrich Kolbe |imdbref=tt0708788 |guests=Susan Powell as Marla Aster, Gabriel Damon as Jeremy Aster, Colm Meaney as Miles O'Brien |previous_production=Who Watches the Watchers |next_production=Booby Trap |episode=TNG C05 |airdate=23 October 1989 |previous_release=Who Watches the Watchers |next_release=Booby Trap |story_date(s)=Stardate 43198.7 |previous_story=Who Watches the Watchers |next_story=Booby Trap }} =Summary= While investigating a planet once occupied by Koinonians, Security Chief Worf and members of the Enterprise away team trigger an ancient mine. They are transported to Sickbay, but Lieutenant Marla Aster is dead. As Captain Picard delivers the news of Marla's death to her son Jeremy, Wesley Crusher talks with Commander Riker about how Picard had delivered the news of his father's death to his mother and himself. Worf expresses his desire to make R'usstai, a Klingon bonding ritual with Jeremy, as they are orphans and he believes he can help the boy recover emotionally, but Jeremy blames Worf for his mother's death. The crew investigates the planet, discovering mines that were recently unearthed and exposed. They observe a beam of charged particles emanating from the surface headed towards the Enterprise, while Counselor Troi senses a new presence from the planet. In Jeremy's quarters, a physical manifestation of Marla appears, explaining that the crew mistakenly considered her dead and wants Jeremy to live on the planet. Troi and Security follows the two preventing "Marla" from using the transporter to return to the planet. They return to Jeremy's quarters, which has the appearance of the Asters' Earth home. Chief Engineer La Forge tunes the shields to stop the particle beam, causing "Marla" to disappear and the room returns to normal. A filament rises from the planet, striking the Enterprise and disrupting the shields; "Marla" appears and takes Jeremy, intent on going to the transporter room. Picard contains "Marla" with force fields and talks to her. "Marla" explains that she is one of two races that once lived on the planet; her species, made from energy, watched the other physical species wipe themselves out from wars and wanted to prevent more suffering; the aliens mollified Jeremy with the illusion of his mother still being alive. Picard and Troi point out that dealing with death is part of the human condition. Wesley explains to Jeremy how he dealt with the his father's death. Jeremy expresses his hatred of Worf, but Troi points out they are both orphans, while Worf notes that he was aided by humans after he lost his parents. Jeremy decides to go with Worf; the illusion of Marla returns to the surface peacefully. Some time later, Worf and Jeremy undertake the R'uustai and honor their mothers' memories. =Errors and Explanations= Plot Oversights # Jeremy's calico cat being identified as a male, when most calicos are female. Jeremy's cat may be a rare genetic anomoly. # Jeremy not being seen again after the bonding. He may have left the Enterprise, to live with relatives (Non canon sources atate he went to live with his aunt and uncle). Internet Movie Database Plot holes # Dr. Crusher declares Aster dead, but makes no effort at resuscitation or stabilization, even though the human brain can endure clinical death for up to three minutes (and other parts of the body for much longer). The internal injuries were probably too severe.'IMDB entry tt0708788 Nit Central # ''Keith Alan Morgan (Kmorgan) on Saturday, July 29, 2000 - 11:27 pm: The wounds of the explosion seemed relatively minor. Usually, explosions rip off chunks of a person's body, or create large gaping wounds, but Dr. Astor just seemed to have bloody cuts & gashes. '''Dr Aster may have been caught by shrapnel at the edge of the blast zone. # Picard tells the boy, "Jeremy, on the Starship Enterprise no one is alone." Then we see a number of scenes showing Jeremy alone. I guess Picard just enjoys being ironic. Picard is referring to the fact that, despite the death of his mother, he still has people on board who are willing to support him. # Troi thought it would be good for Wes to talk to Jeremy, because he also lost a Starfleet parent, but isn't Troi's father dead, and wasn't he in Starfleet? True, but Wes is closer in age to Jeremy, and a member of the same gender. # Picard & Troi are in the Turbolift, when Worf contacts them and says, "They are heading for Transporter Room 3." and Picard says, "We are on our way.", but Picard never tells the Turbolift the new destination. The computer is probably capable of interprting Picard's response as a request for transport to the location in the original message. # On page 152 of the NextGen Guide, Phil wonders how Jeremy could rattle off a Klingon phrase he has only just heard. Maybe the Universal Translator did it for him? Perhaps Jeremy shares Commander Flaherty's knack for learning languages. # Mike Nuss on Friday, August 04, 2006 - 7:03 pm: At the beginning of the episode, Troi shouts "Beam them up! Now!" a second before the explosion. Do Troi's powers include telling the future? Chris Booton (Cbooton) on Saturday, August 05, 2006 - 5:43 pm: I think she sensed something from the lifeforms down there that the bomb was about to go off. =Sources= Category:Episodes Category:The Next Generation